Designed by vasy_skral | Shared under CC BY 4.0

Original project on Flux: https://www.flux.ai/vasy_skral/wearable-ai-camera~9bb

WHAT IS THIS PROJECT ABOUT?

The Wearable AI Camera is a compact, multi-function wearable board designed by vasy_skral. It brings together a Murata Bluetooth module, a crypto controller, a STMicroelectronics time-of-flight sensor and a microphone, all powered from a battery through a dedicated power management system. The creator tags it #wearableDevices, and its aim is to put sensing, wireless connectivity and on-board intelligence into a package small enough to wear.

The board is built around an STM32H747AII6 microcontroller, a high-performance part from the STM32H7 family, and uses a variety of power rails and communication protocols to connect its components. It also includes a camera connector, which gives the design its camera focus.

WHY IS IT INTERESTING?

Wearable hardware is among the hardest categories of PCB design. Space is limited, the battery is small, and the board has to combine sensitive analog and RF circuitry with fast digital logic and several power domains at once. This design takes that challenge on directly. Its eight copper layers give room for dense routing, solid power distribution and good separation between noisy and sensitive circuits, which a board of this complexity needs.

The security element is also worth noting. Pairing a crypto controller with a wireless module and sensors reflects a design aimed at devices that handle personal data, where protecting that data matters from the first prototype.

HARDWARE DESIGN

• Main controller: STM32H747AII6 microcontroller
• Wireless: Murata Bluetooth module
• Security: crypto controller
• Sensing: STMicroelectronics time-of-flight sensor and a microphone
• Camera: camera connector
• Power management: NXP PF1550 PMIC with battery charging and multiple regulated rails
• Battery monitoring: MAX17262 fuel gauge
• USB: USB3320 high-speed USB PHY
• Indication: charge status LED and additional status LEDs
• EMI: shield-to-ground filtering network
• Board construction: eight-layer (top, six inner layers, bottom)

The power system is a notable part of the design. The PF1550 provides charging and several separate rails from the battery or USB, and the MAX17262 tracks battery state so the device can report its charge accurately.

MANUFACTURING FILES

The project is published ready for fabrication and assembly. It includes a complete Gerber set covering the top and bottom layers, all six inner copper layers, solder mask, solder paste, silkscreen and board outline, together with an Excellon drill file, an IPC-D-356 electrical test netlist and a pick-and-place CSV for automated assembly. Bills of materials are provided in formats prepared for several manufacturers, including a version optimised for PCBWay.

PROJECT STATUS AND NOTES FOR BUILDERS

This is a complex design, and the project documentation is candid about where it stands. The passive components (resistors, capacitors, inductors and an LED) have all been assigned manufacturer part numbers, but the project's sourcing notes describe these as provisional selections made under stated assumptions, not a full electrical qualification of the board. The notes recommend checks before production, including measuring rail ripple and startup, reviewing the effect of DC bias on capacitor values, verifying inductor current and heat, and testing the RF path and antenna performance.

The documentation does not report a built and tested prototype, so please treat this design as a reference and starting point and review it carefully before ordering. The sourcing notes also list a few bill-of-materials items to correct before assembly, including the microcontroller part-number field and one component missing from the BOM. Check the BOM against the schematic and your assembly quote before you order.

CREDITS AND LICENCE

Designed by vasy_skral (Flux). The design is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

All design work and credit belong to the original creator. Please visit the original Flux project, explore the design in full, and show the creator some support.